Cobwebs
by bundysbaby
Summary: Sometimes cleaning can be a killer! A Halloween 2017 treat!


"I never get to do _anything!"_ Diana Lynch hurled the accusation at her parents and went storming out of the room.

Sharon Lynch turned to her husband, Ed. with one of those looks. The kind that said it was his turn to try and talk to their rather headstrong daughter.

"You're her mother. Maybe she needs a woman's touch," Ed suggested in a hopeful tone.

"And maybe we should send her to a convent school," Sharon shot back.

Damn, she knew just what buttons to push. A young Ed Lynch swore to the high heavens above he would never let any of his future children attend Catholic school. Not after he got his knuckles rapped for the umpteenth time for daydreaming in class.

 _Well_ , he snorted to himself, _look where those daydreams got me. Rich, that's where, with a great family._ He stopped in front of Diana's closed door, listening to the loud sobs coming from within. Most of the time.

He rapped on the door.

"Go away!"

"Diana, it's me, Dad. I want to come in and talk to you."

"Go away, Daddy. I don't want to talk to you or…or anyone at all!" A new round of hiccupping, heart-rendering wailing began.

Ed sighed again, and pushed the door open, peeking in to ensure Diana was decent. She was sprawled across her fairytale bed, head buried in a pillow, just as if she were a little girl again. Ed flashed back a memory in their dinky apartment when Diana was four or five. Just like now, she was crying because she was unable to join classmates on a school trip.

He and Sharon just did not have the cash, and they were too proud to take charity.

His little girl was sprawled across her cot then, too, crying her eyes out because everyone got to do everything and she was always left out.

He grabbed her vanity chair and pulled it up next to the bed. Circumstances changed greatly since then. It wasn't a cheap little cot they bought second-hand that his daughter rested on now, but an expensive piece of furniture he was sure she disliked.

"I told you to go away, Daddy," came her muffled voice, breaking into his melancholy reminiscence.

"I think it's important we talk, Di-di." A name he hadn't called her in a long time. It had the benefit of her lifting her head from the pillow, and Ed had to marvel at the picture she made. Most women would be red-nosed with puffy eyes after a hard bout of tears.

It simply made Diana look dewy and unfocused as if one were viewing her through a soft filter. Yeah, it was a good thing she was crazy about that Mart Belden. At least he came from good stock and Ed didn't have to worry overmuch about other guys getting amorous with his little girl.

Dian brushed a slender hand across her eyes, mouth downturned. "I don't think we have _anything at all_ to talk about."

"Di-di," Ed began but was overruled by his daughter's shrill voice.

"No, Daddy. _No_." Diana realized she was being loud and toned down her voice. It was no use acting like a child if she wanted to be treated as an adult.

Which meant speaking her mind and making her point without all the drama.

"No, Daddy," she repeated. "All of the Bob-Whites, even Dan, are going to Cobbett's Island for two weeks. After that, all the guys are headed back to school, even Mart and Dan. All we wanted was an end-of-the-season holiday to spend together. But, now I can't go." Her bottom lip quivered, and it was only by concentrating could she stop her voice from joining it.

"It's just bad timing, Diana. You know at any other time Mummy and I would have let you go." Ed raked a hand through his hair.

"No, Daddy. It's not fair. I told Mummy last month that we were going. I told her the dates. And now you both tell me that Annika gave her two weeks' notice and Marisol is going on vacation."

"It's just bad luck, honey. Your mother needs help with the twins. Both sets. I have to fly to Australia for some important meetings I cannot do by Skype. Peter, Helen, and Bobby are headed off to Pennsylvania to visit with Helen's sister and family. You know what a handful Larry and Terry are; if the Beldens were home, we could have arranged a visiting schedule for the Terrible Trio."

"The problem is this, Daddy. You and Mummy _chose_ to have a large family. _I_ didn't have any say in this at all. Yet, you both want me to do your job and parent the younger kids. Meanwhile, I don't get to be with my friends. I've had to skip so many trips and Bob-White outings. I hoped we were past that. And now it's happening all over again."

Stung, Ed hastened to reply. "We're not asking you to parent…"

"Yes, you are. Every time Annika had a day off, I was stuck watching the kids. The only time I didn't have to was when you and Mummy had to be away overnight, and Marisol came to help. Most of the time I don't mind helping. But you and Mummy have to realize the twinnies are your kids, not mine. You both had a life where you went out with your friends when you were my age. And I'm stuck here _all the time."_

"Diana…"

"I don't want to hear it, Daddy." She sat up in bed, the beauty of her remarkable blue-violet eyes heightened by unshed tears. "You won't even admit it to yourselves, so how can you admit it to me?" She took a deep breath. "I'll help, and I won't complain. I'll be the good big sister who is really just another mother. And when it comes time for me to go to college in a year, well, be prepared for me to get as far away from here as is humanly possible."

Ed Lynch appeared quite a bit older when he joined his wife in the family living room. She looked up from the silly romance novel she was reading and raised her brows. "I take it your talk with our eldest did not go well."

Ed sat heavily in his favorite recliner and shrugged his shoulders. "It did not. She's accepted the fact she can't go to Cobbett's Island, but she made some valid points, Shar."

"Like what?"

"That the twins are our children, not hers, and we regard her as a built-in surrogate parent."

"That's ridiculous, Ed. We have a nanny."

"Part-time, Sharon. You said you wanted to take care of the kids yourself after… after that whole business with Tilney Britten pretending to be your brother Monty. I think we do ask Diana to step in most times when we're busy, and Annika or Marisol are busy leading their lives."

"There are times when I have to attend business functions with you, Ed. You know that. Or when they've been driving me nuts all day and one of my migraines…"

"Exactly. Diana made it known that she is not the twins' parent and when she goes away to college, she's going to go as far away as possible." They did rely on Diana a lot of the time, even if Sharon wouldn't admit it to herself.

"You… you don't think she really means that, do you?" Sharon lifted a hand to her heart. _How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child_. Yup, Shakespeare had beautiful words for everything in life.

"Yeah, Shar. I really think she means it."

888888

Several days later, after the BWGs left for the Island, Diana found herself with a free afternoon. "I'll take care of the kids, why don't you take a break and go ride Sunny?" Sharon figured a few hours in the pool would tire the younger kids out and give her a chance to work on her tan.

Besides, maybe she'd get back in Diana's good graces. Ever since that day when they had words, their interactions were quite stilted.

"Because it's so much fun to ride Sunny all by myself, Mum." Diana paused, the churning in her stomach a counterpoint to the snarky words. "Thank you," she added, her words stilted and unnatural. "Maybe I will do that."

Sharon sighed as her beautiful, stubborn daughter flounced out of the room. No more kisses and no more calling her Mummy. A small part of her ached to give in to Diana's demand, but what kind of parent would I be? It would set a bad precedent for the littler ones. No, better to suck it up until she gets over this.

And Sharon, deep in her mother's heart, hoped it would be soon.

Diana did decide to ride Sunny. She'd go to the Clubhouse and hang around there for a while, maybe tidy up some and read a steamy romance novel she kept hidden in her room. Mart's hot kisses made her feel all tingly like the main female character, and although they both agreed they were much too young to go any further, Diana still enjoyed thinking about it.

The closer she rode to the cozy little ex-gatehouse, the more Sunny began to act up. "What's up, boy? What's the matter?"

The gleaming golden palomino pranced back a few steps and nickered. "Is there a catamount?" Diana stopped and listened; occasionally one came into the preserve, and you could hear the howls for miles. Nothing disturbed the tranquility of forest except for the usual twittering of birds and rustling of the leaves in the slight breeze.

"I don't hear or see anything, Sunny." She urged the powerful horse forward, but he sidestepped to the left. It was only when she headed towards Manor House stables that Sunny acted more like himself. Regan was working in the large paddock and noticed her approach.

"Hey there, Diana. Hi, Sunny." He wondered if she knew what a lovely picture the two presented. The gorgeous, black-haired girl contrasted by the golden beauty of the horse. Man, it was calendar material, to be sure.

"Hi, Regan, I'm sorry to intrude like this. I was headed over to the Clubhouse to do a little cleaning and reading – and escape from my siblings – when Sunny began to act strangely. I thought there might be a catamount or bear about, but I didn't see or hear anything. We rode part of the way down Glen Road, and I think he might have picked up a rock or got bitten by something. He was even reluctant to come up here at first."

Regan immediately grew concerned with the horse. He grabbed a carrot from his pocket and held it out, watching as Sunny scarfed it down as Regan patted the sleek neck. "You still want to go down to the Clubhouse?"

"Yeah, I was planning on some away-from-screaming-twins time, as I said."

"Leave Sunny here and let me look at him. He might have picked up a rock in one of his hooves or a bug bite. Something may even be under his saddle, you just never know."

"Are you sure, Regan? I really…"

Regan waved a calloused, freckled hand. "Go on with you, Diana. When you're ready, come back and pick him up. I'll have him here in the paddock. Jupe's a couple of paddocks over so there will be no shows of male dominance." He grinned. "Even though they're both geldings!" He handed her the saddlebag she packed with her book a couple bottles of water, and some Doritos.

Diana thanked Regan again, but he was already involved with the snorting horse. She headed down the path to the cozy converted gatehouse, keeping an eye and ear out for any unexpected visitors. Relieved when she finally reached the old building, she stopped short.

"Ewwwww. I guess it has been a while since we were down here," she muttered aloud. Several large webs were glinting in the sun, blocking the door and a couple were on the windows. She scouted around for a branch and approached the door with it outstretched.

"Sorry, spiders, I know you're beneficial, and all, and I hate to disrupt your nests, but I gotta get through here." Diana swept the branch, which still had some leaves attached to it, as it if were a Swiffer. She didn't note any web-builders objecting to her wholesale destruction of their abodes.

"Ewww. This is just so creepy." She cleared the door and windows and threw the branch into the underbrush. Finally, she could enter and relax.

"Nuh-uh." Diana dropped her saddlebag with a dull thud. "Oh, for heaven's sake, doesn't anyone ever clean around here?" Several large cobwebs were clinging to the ceiling and walls in the corners of the old building. It was really gross.

"Luckily, I don't have to use a branch this time. And why am I talking out loud to myself? Seriously, if anyone heard me, I might be consigned to the loony bin." Diana went to grab the box of cleaning supplies that were kept in the back room on one of the neatly labeled shelves.

She pulled out a Swiffer, blessing the inventor of the fluffy duster and the long extension handle. She spent the next 15 minutes or so cleaning up the inordinate number of cobwebs that seem to have sprung up overnight.

Diana was flushed and rather warm when she finished her homely tasks. She opened her saddlebag and grabbed one of the bottles of water she brought with her. Taking a long, refreshing swallow of the ice-cold stuff, she plopped down on the couch, ready for some steamy reading.

 _Pirate of My Heart_ was in the genre known as a bodice ripper. It followed the usual formula for that type of book. The hero was traveling the seven seas, boarding other ships at will, and stealing their goods. Of course, he was smart, wily, and greatly feared, as well as being devastatingly handsome.

The heroine was a beautiful, titled Englishwoman heading over to the New World, a bit of humanity bartered for an infusion into the family fortune. Her husband to be was an older, lascivious rake who wanted her as a breeding tool and nothing more.

Of course, the dread pirate captured the ship she was traveling on and took the feisty heroine as his captive. They had a rather tempestuous relationship that eventually exploded into passion. What really sealed the deal for Diana was that the pirate was described as having blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The lady had hair as black as a raven's wing and startling blue-violet eyes.

Now wasn't that simply an _amazing_ coincidence?

And, although she and Mart had only kissed along with some surreptitious caresses, those passion-filled scenes of steamy sex made her want in a most deliciously decadent way. The way those scenes made her tingle and the way Mart looked at her…

Diana figured it might be time to visit her doctor and discuss birth control. Better to be safe than sorry! She knew that both Honey and Trixie were on the pill, even if they weren't sexually active.

Yet.

She lost herself in the tale of the handsome pirate and the adventurous captive, pausing only to gulp water every now and then. As she eagerly devoured the words, she never noticed the light fading until she had to blink to focus on the darkened page.

"Oh, gleeps, as Trix would say! What time is it?" She glanced at the dainty watch on her wrist. Only an hour and a half had elapsed… why was it getting so dark in the room? Her parents would have a conniption if she stayed out too late, especially since she was on horseback and she left her cell phone at home. She didn't want any calls asking her to come home and help!

Diana lifted her head, and that's when a shrill scream escaped. She closed her eyes, hoping she imagined what she just saw. _Yes, that's it. I was asleep and had a bad dream. When I wake up, I'll be safe and sound at home._

She peered out of slitted eyes, only to open them wider and raise a hand to stifle her sharp, indrawn breath. "This isn't possible," she breathed, frozen by fear.

The cobwebs she cleared from the corners were back. Thicker and larger than before. Not only did the webs inhabit the corners, but they were also covering the windows and the curtains Honey made. Shivers ran up and down Di's spine. She couldn't see any spiders, none at all. Yet, the webs taunted her with their very being.

"I'll use the Swiffer again. Maybe I just didn't get them all last time." She knew that was a lie she told herself. Her skin felt as if hundreds of tiny spiders were crawling all over it, and as she sidled over to the cleaning box, she brushed the non-existent insects off in a continuous sweep of slender fingers.

She grabbed the Swiffer from the box, extending the head, took a deep breath and began to clear away the cobwebs for the second time. Diana started the second window, but by the time she was finished, the first one was already rewebbed.

"No. This _cannot_ be." She attacked each of the web spawning points, as she was beginning to think of them. The head of the Swiffer became matted and heavy, appearing as if it were a villager torch from some old horror movie.

No matter how fast she cleaned, the cobwebs were faster. They were thicker and larger, almost menacing. Diana began to feel claustrophobic as they closed in on the middle of the room. "I need to get out of here." The strands were already beginning to block the door, her escape outside.

The Swiffer head slipped off the handle as Di cleared the webs from the sturdy door. In just another minute, she'd be free. She'd be outside, be able to breathe, and away from whatever was creating those cobwebs. For a hysterical minute, she visualized getting bit by a genetically engineered spider. What would she become? Spider-woman? A black widow who devoured her mate? A woman with a _spider head and a human body?_

The door handle turned, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't trapped in the Clubhouse. She was free! She was…

Imprisoned.

She didn't see the sky or the leaves on the trees that surrounded the place. The flagstone path disappeared within a couple of steps. All she could see was the intricate, thick web that encased the entire building.

Strands of it dropped down, the silkiness brushing across her exposed limbs and face. Diana began to scream and scream as it entwined around her, no matter how fast she brushed it off. The threads were almost caressing as they tickled her skin.

One last, terrified, tremendous shriek burst from her lungs.

888888

Larry and Terry were giggling as Sharon Lynch burst into Diana's bedroom. "What is going on here? Boys? I could hear you screaming all the way downstairs, Diana."

"You told us to come up and wake Diana," Terry sulked. "We were only having some fun."

"Yeah, we were tickling her with the tassel from the curtains, see?" Larry held up the offending item. "Then she started screaming her head off."

Diana was sitting up in bed, her eyes open as wide as possible. Her breath was coming in painful gasps, and she was sure her heart rate was within the lethal range. "You… you guys were tickling me with the tassel?" she croaked out. "I thought I was being attacked by cobwebs."

Sharon sighed. "I'm sorry, honey. I asked them to wake you for breakfast, sleepyhead. Boys, for scaring your sister like that, you're grounded today. Now, downstairs and go eat." Sharon sat at the edge of the bed. "I should have known better than to send those two up. I don't know who is going to be punished more, them or me with them underfoot all day."

"It's okay, Mummy. It's just that the nightmare was so real."

"Come down when you're ready, sweetie." Sharon rose after patting her daughter's leg. "I need to get down there to make sure your brothers aren't engaging in a who-can-drink-the-most-milk battle. You know what happened last time." Sharon rolled her eyes.

Diana stayed in bed a few minutes longer before turning to the side and slipping her feet into her flip-flops. "It was only a dream," she whispered. "Only a dream."

Her cell phone rang, and she picked it up. Trixie. "Hey, Trix. What's up?"

"You'll never guess what!" Trixie's excited voice assaulted her just-awake eardrums.

"What?" Diana barely had time to respond before Trixie launched into her what.

"Matt and Maddie Wheeler offered the house on Cobbett's Island to us Bob-Whites for the last two weeks of summer before the guys go back, and in the case of Mart and Dan, when they begin. No chaperones, either! Dan can go this time and…"

Diana didn't hear much of what Trixie said after that, as the phone slid from her hand and landed on the soft carpet without a sound.


End file.
